1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sand dispensing devices, and more particularly pertains to a sand dispensing device for applying sand to icy road surfaces adjacent the drive wheels of a vehicle for providing enhanced traction. Many individuals, especially those living in rural areas of the country, must travel icy road surfaces during the winter months. These individuals must frequently await the passage of a sand truck over a particularly slippery road surface on a hill before they are able to pass this road section. In order to overcome this problem, the present invention provides a vehicle carrying sand dispensing device which sprays a sand and air mixture adjacent the drive wheels of the vehicle upon actuation of a remote switch.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of sand dispensing devices are known in the prior art. A typical example of such a sand dispensing device is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,606,781, which issued to T. Loftus on Aug. 12, 1952. This patent discloses a sand pipe dispensing nozzle for dispensing sand on a railroad track. U.S. Pat. No. 2,904,363, which issued to M. Michaletz on Sept. 15, 1959, discloses a sand dispenser for automobiles which utilizes a distributing hopper position ahead of a driving wheel of the vehicle, a supply hopper mounted on the vehicle, a heating chamber mounted on the vehicle between the supply and distributing hoppers and a conduit extending from the supply hopper to the distributing hopper and passing through the heating chamber. U.S. Pat. No. 2,999,711, which issued to L. Sturmer on Sept. 12, 1961, discloses a sand dispensing device adapted to be mounted in the trunk of a vehicle. The device includes an electric blower, and air jet assembly extending from and connected to an outlet of the blower and a gravity feed hopper for feeding sand into the blower outlet conduit. U.S. Pat. No. 3,345,097, which issued to H. Smith on Oct. 3, 1967, discloses a locomotive with a sanding system having a continuous airflow. The system includes an air chamber connected to a compressor for maintaining a predetermined pressure and a sand storage reservoir to supply sand through gravity feed into an air outlet passage connected to the chamber. U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,524, which issued to P. Lee on June 10, 1975, discloses a sand dispensing device which includes a sand storage and deposition tank disposed approximate to each wheel of a vehicle for depositing sand ahead of the corresponding wheel to reduce skidding of the vehicle. Each tank has an associated valve which is hydraulically operated via a fluid conduit coupled to a master cylinder of the vehicle so that upon application of the vehicle brakes, the sand is deposited.
While the above mentioned devices are suited for their intended usage, none of these devices disclose the provision of a a partitioned housing enclosing a sand supply and an air compressor which may be conveniently removed or installed from a vehicle trunk. Additionally, none of the aforesaid devices disclose a sand dispensing device which utilizes a sand induction nozzle having a sand inlet extending through an aperture in a partition wall to entrain sand in an air outlet conduit connected to an electric air compressor. Additional features of the present invention, not disclosed by the previously described prior art devices include the provision of an air compressor operatively connected to a relay which is selectively closed by a remote switch which is biased to an open position to prevent inadvertent prolonged operation of the device. Inasmuch as the art is relatively crowded with respect to these various types of sand dispensing devices, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for and interest in improvements to such sand dispensing devices, and in this respect, the present invention addresses this need and interest.